NBC News president sends memo to rank and file after accusation of journalistic integrity breach
Noah Oppenheim is fighting back amid claims of orchestrating a cover-up to shield sexual misconduct and assault allegations. The NBC News president has been accused of being dishonest about his knowledge of accusations against former ‘Today’ co-host Matt Lauer. He’s sent a memo to employees to tell his side of the story.
ABC News’ “The View” questioned on Monday why beleaguered NBC News honchos remain employed amid an onslaught of scandals that have plagued the network.
“It’s hard to understand why they still have jobs,” outspoken co-host Meghan McCain said.
Ronan Farrow appeared on “The View” to promote Tuesday’s release of “Catch and Kill,” his book that details his allegations that NBC opted against publishing his Harvey Weinstein reporting. Once NBC told Farrow his reporting wasn’t fit to print, but the son of actress Mia Farrow has repeatedly insisted there is more to the story.
Farrow explained to the panel that he took the “same reporting” to The New Yorker, where it won the Pulitzer Prize and helped launch the #MeToo movement.
Ronan Farrow’s “Catch and Kill” has put intense pressure on NBC News leaders Noah Oppenheim and Andy Lack.
“The reporting is unimpeachable and stands on its own,” Farrow said. "[NBC] ordered a stop… this book answers why.”
McCain asked directly if current NBC management will “survive,” and co-host Sunny Hostin got even more specific.
NBC NEWS PRESIDENT MOCKED BY STAFFERS DURING FIERY MEETING ABOUT LAUER RAPE CLAIM
“We’re talking about Andy Lack, we’re talking about Noah Oppenheim. People that killed your story,” Hostin said.
Farrow responded by saying that even more damaging information about Lack, who is NBC News chairman, and Oppenheim, president of NBC News, is included in his book, which includes alleged misconduct by Lack himself.
“There is a depiction of a chain of command that I think people are correctly raising questions about,” Farrow said. “I am not an activist, I am a reporter.”
“I don’t see how they survive this,” Hostin fired back.
FULL TEXT: NBC NEWS PRESIDENT'S EMAIL TO STAFF ABOUT FARROW'S TELL-ALL
Oppenheim called Farrow's book an “effort to defame” the Peacock Network that is “clearly motivated not by a pursuit of truth, but an axe to grind” in a memo sent to employees Monday morning.
The lengthy memo obtained by Fox News rejects Farrow's reporting that suggests NBC wasn’t truthful regarding knowledge of alleged sexual misconduct by former “Today” co-host Matt Lauer, and that the network refused to expose Weinstein as a sexual predator because he leveraged information regarding Lauer.
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A spokesperson for Farrow did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the author responded on "CBS This Morning" Monday when informed of Oppenheim’s email.
“This book is an extraordinary, meticulously fact-checked work of investigative journalism," Farrow said. "It's two years of reporting, one of the senior fact-checkers at The New Yorker checked it, I’ll let the reporting in the book stand on its own. We’re very confident in it."
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